Sleeping Beauty
by Noxialis
Summary: - 3318 - AU Retelling of Sleeping Beauty - Prince Hibari is cursed to an eternal sleep when he reaches sixteen by the evil faerie Mukuro, and his only hope lies with Prince Ryohei, the excitable idiot he met in the forest.


**Title:** Sleeping Beauty

**Pairing:** 3318

**Summary:** When the evil faerie Mukuro curses Prince Hibari, he is raised in the woods by three good faeries. But Prince Ryohei, already engaged to the prince he never knew, falls for the man he meets in the woods. But the time has come for Hibari's curse to be fulfilled.

**Notes:** I just realized that in both the fairytales I stuck Hibari in, he's the one passing out in a dead sleep, in need of a kiss. This amuses me.

I own nothing.

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Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms looking for a good alliance with one another. When the queen of the Kingdom of the Sun became pregnant, the two kingdoms decided that their children would be married, creating an alliance that no one could break. After nine months, Prince Ryohei was born. Some time afterwards, the queen of the Kingdom of the Cloud became pregnant, then gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

The plans began to fall through upon the discovery that both children were male, but the kingdoms _really_ wanted that alliance, so they decided to go through with it anyways. When Prince Hibari turned one year old, they brought Ryohei to meet him, not that a toddler meeting a baby and being told he was to marrying him would really sink in. Food and other things soon distracted the excitable toddler, and Hibari was sleeping.

Soon, as was the custom, the three faeries of the Cloud Kingdom came to bestow their blessings on the royal child. The first, a silver-haired boy named Gokudera, gave Hibari looks that could kill. A black-haired boy with a smiling face, Yamamoto, granted Hibari agility and grace. But before the last faerie, a brown-haired boy named Tsuna, could grant Hibari his gift of an even temperament, a loud bang echoed throughout the grand hall, and mist rolled in from the door.

Another faerie had not been invited, as Mukuro was known far and wide as a wicked faerie. Whether or not he was actually angry at not being invited or if he was simply using it as an excuse to cause mayhem, no one had the time to guess. He swooped in and pointed his trident at the cradle holding the infant Hibari.

"I curse you, Prince Hibari. Live until your sixteenth birthday, but you will find a spinning wheel on that day and prick your finger on its spindle. When the blood drop falls, so shall you, and death will claim you as its own."

The king called on the guards to catch Mukuro, but the faerie was able to slip away, the mist that came with him slowly rolling away. The grand hall was swept up in a terrible silence, until Tsuna's soft voice broke it.

"I do not have the power to revoke Mukuro's curse, but I can weaken it. Instead of dying when he pricks his finger, he shall simply fall into a deep sleep that can only be woken with a kiss from his true love."

This did not do enough to soothe the Cloud King's fears, and he immediately ordered that every single spinning wheel in the kingdom be destroyed and burnt into ashes. Their fabrics would be imported from other kingdoms, no matter how much more it cost. As long as his son was safe.

But the days passed and the three faeries conversed with one another. They knew that simply ridding the kingdom of spinning wheels would not be enough to stop Mukuro. And even if Hibari never found a spinning wheel and never pricked his finger, Mukuro would come after him.

They reached a conclusion and brought it up with the king and queen. As much as they didn't want it, they relented, and the three faeries took the infant with them to a cottage in the woods, where they would raise him secretly, not telling him anything about his true origins until they could be sure that it was safe.

For years they raised Hibari, until his sixteenth birthday finally came. Hibari was ushered out into the forest while the three got to working on a party for him, where they would reveal how he was actually a prince. Hibari just wandered through the forest he had grown up with, the sweet song of a bird he had tamed following him as he traveled.

Prince Ryohei, at this point, was simply out riding in the forest of the kingdom he and his family had traveled out to. He had always been told he was to marry the prince of the Kingdom of the Cloud, and that now he would finally be able to meet the boy. There had been something about a faerie and some curse, but Ryohei hadn't been paying attention. Now he romped out for a bit of freedom, enjoying the strange new terrain, when he suddenly heard the soft sound of a bird singing.

He only had to turn his horse around a few trees before he came across a clearing with the most beautiful man he had ever seen standing in the middle, a small yellow bird singing on his finger. Ryohei slowly dismounted his horse, eyes stuck on the pale, dark-haired boy.

Suddenly he burst out from the bushes that separated him from the clearing, shouting out, "WOW, YOU ARE EXTREMELY BEAU-" His statement was cut off by the pale man's fist connecting with his jaw, the bird already long gone from the startling white-haired boy bursting into the clearing.

Ryohei connected with the grass below for a moment, marveling at how strong this beautiful boy was, then noticed that Hibari was already leaving. He yelled at him to wait and scrambled to his feet, running after the dark-haired boy, catching him by the arm.

Hibari growled and flexed his fist, ready to smash the loud stranger's face in, when Ryohei spoke up. "I think I love you!" he said, his voice softer than before, but still full of the same enthusiasm. Hibari faltered, his face flushing a deep crimson, then brought his fist directly into Ryohei's cheek. When the boy was knocked to the ground, Hibari gave him a good kick to the stomach before stalking away.

Ryohei, after his mind regained proper coherency, stood up and wiped as much blood from his face as he could, then went and found his horse again. He would not give up that easily, but it was obvious the dark-haired boy lived in the forest, and it would take Ryohei much too long to find him by himself. He rode back to the palace, set to gather up a search party and return to the forest.

Hibari returned to the cottage he called home, though the sounds of a loud argument could be heard through the walls. Gokudera's voice was the loudest, as usual, and Hibari frowned, annoyed. He swung open the door, ready to shut the man up however he needed to, but was greeted with the sight of Yamamoto ducking a red coloured blast. A blast that just so happened to fly over the man's head and slam into Hibari's chest, knocking him down to the ground.

Tsuna cried out in worry, both for Hibari and his own safety, and Yamamoto bounced over to see how the boy was doing. Hibari simply kicked his leg out, catching the man in the shins, bringing him down to the ground as Hibari lurched to his feet, glaring bloody murder at Gokudera. He lunged, then found himself stopped, encased in a swirl of blue light.

"Hi-Hibari, please calm down." Tsuna whimpered, his hands outstretched, a slight sparkle at the ends of his fingertips. Hibari glared down at him.

"What is this?"

Tsuna paused for a moment, but then Yamamoto stood up and walked over to stand beside the other two. "We're faeries!" he said brightly, smiling merrily. "Feels good to tell the truth, doesn't it?" Gokudera just snorted. Hibari stared, crossing his arms.

"I already knew that. You aren't exactly quiet."

"Not that kind of faerie, you stupid-" Gokudera's rant was cut off by Yamamoto's arm slung over his shoulder. He scowled and shoved the man off. "We're magical. Wings and everything."

"We were to watch over you until your sixteenth birthday," Tsuna spoke up, slightly distracted from still holding up the magical bubble holding Hibari. He didn't quite trust the man to let him out. "To protect you from danger. And when the time was right, we were to tell you your true identity."

"True identity?"

"You're a prince." Yamamoto said, bouncing off to a corner of the room where he pulled out a cardboard box. "You're Prince Hibari of the Kingdom of the Cloud!" Gokudera opened up the box in Yamamoto's arms and pulled out a small crown, holding it out towards the boy. Tsuna reluctantly let the barrier down, and Hibari landed gently on the ground.

He kicked Gokudera in the stomach, just once, nice and quick, and took the crown from his hands. The silver-haired man growled and clutched his stomach, but a quick look from Tsuna stopped him from retaliating. Hibari was engrossed in the crown, looking at it from all angles.

"There's a new outfit in there for you, too!" Yamamoto added, nodding towards the box, smiling as Hibari peered in. "It's something you can wear when you meet your parents! And your fiancé!"

"… What?" Tsuna and Gokudera exchanged worried looks.

"Your fiancé! He was decided for you before you were born. Hmmm, what was his name again?" Yamamoto pondered for a moment, oblivious to the darkening look in Hibari's eyes. "Oh! Right, it was Prince Ryohei. From the Sun Kingdom!"

Tsuna started quivering, not knowing how furious Hibari would be, or if he would take it out on them. They could take him, they had the advantage of magic on their side, but it would be a lot easier if Hibari just went with the flow. Tsuna feared for the boy's parents. The personality of their son would likely be shocking.

Suddenly, Hibari let loose a chuckle, and he gave them all a sneer. "Well, let's see this Prince Ryohei, then. I want to see what kind of claim he makes to me."

Tsuna actually flinched, knowing that whatever Hibari wanted to do to this man would likely end up bloody and violent. What a pleasant sixteenth birthday this would be…

Hibari took the clothing that had been in the box and got dressed, and the three faeries snuck him out into the forest, on the path to the castle. Little did they notice the pale wolf that had been sitting next to the window the whole time, and who now bounded through the forest in the opposite direction, easily slipping into the lair that belonged to the wicked faerie.

"Mukuro, Mukuro!" The wolf called out as he raced up the stairs, his body transforming upon reaching the top stair where Mukuro lounged on a chair. A blonde boy with a scar over his nose stood panting in front of the faerie, who tilted his head with a smile.

"What is it, Ken?"

"I found that Cloud Prince! He's heading back to the palace now!" Mukuro paused for a moment, his smile dropping to a look of mild surprise, but the thin smile soon stretched over his cheeks.

"Kufufufufufufufu." He laughed, his voice quivering with anticipation. "Well done, Ken. I will leave soon. You may return to patrol."

Ken gave him a sloppy salute and began bounding down the stairs again, reverting back to the form of a wolf. As he waltzed past the guards and entered the forest, he could hear the echoes of Mukuro's laughter reaching his ears, maniacal and filled with malicious glee.

Back at the castle, Ryohei was on his horse, a flock of men and their own horses behind him, and his father in front of him. The man pleaded with Ryohei to stop and think of his kingdom.

"You have always known you were to marry Prince Hibari! You would throw away the kingdom for some boy you don't even know?!"

"I cannot help it, father!" Ryohei gripped his reins tight, turning the horse to face the castle gate. "I have fallen in love to the extreme!" At that, he spurred his horse on, and they rode out of the castle, flying towards the forest, the search party behind him. His father wailed and retreated into the palace.

Barely a few minutes later, the three faeries showed Hibari through a servant entrance, and they all snuck into the palace. They made their way through the hallways and corridors, hiding whenever a maid or anyone would walk by, until they came to a room that had been prepared for Hibari's return.

The faeries left Hibari alone to look through the room, instead making their way over to Hibari's parents to let them know that Hibari was here and that they would see him soon. Hibari changed his shoes and wandered through the room, opening up drawers and closets.

Then he heard a sound, a soft humming, coming from somewhere above him. He scowled and demanded to know who was there, and the fire in the fireplace was extinguished, the back wall opening up to reveal a secret passage. Hibari gave little thought to the fact that this was all rather ominous, and instead tromped up the steps, intent on finding out who had the audacity to enter his room.

The stairs ended and he threw the door open, finding only a blue-haired girl sitting at a spinning wheel, her hands and feet moving and weaving the wool into a fine thread. Hibari glared at her and stepped closer until he was standing directly beside her.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, hands crossed over his chest as he glowered at the girl who had yet to turn around and look at him.

"I am spinning fabric." She said simply, her fingers never stopping. "Would you like to try?"

"Most certainly not." Hibari snapped, his hands shooting out to slap the spindle off the rest of the wheel, his finger pricking against the pointed end as it connected. The spindle clattered to the ground and finally the girl stopped. Her face slowly turned to look at Hibari, and she smiled, her lips slowly thinning and turning upwards mockingly. Hibari glared at her and raised his hand, ready to strike again, but the motion let a precariously hanging droplet of blood loose, and it fell through the air, splattering against the ground.

Hibari shuddered for a moment, eyes widening, then slipping shut as he plummeted to the floor, completely still save for the slight motion of his chest. The girl's smile widened and she stood up, looking over the man's body triumphantly. She slowly began laughing, louder and louder, until it grabbed the attention of three faeries below.

The three faeries drew out their wings, swooping up the stairs and through the doors, to come across the sight of Mukuro standing over Hibari's sleeping body. Magic was quickly unleashed, and Mukuro was driven out in a puff of mist, leaving the three good faeries with a decision to make.

"We can't let his parents see him like this…" Tsuna said, kneeling by Hibari's head, his hand gently on the other boy's hair. "It would break their hearts."

"So what do we do?" Gokudera said, quickly conjuring up a bed so Hibari wouldn't have to lay on the floor. There was a small silence there as they all thought, Tsuna using his magic to float Hibari onto the bed.

"Let's put everyone else to sleep too." Yamamoto said, his face looking wrong in all its seriousness.

"What kind of idea is that?" Gokudera snorted, still without the usual sting.

"Think about it! Everyone in the castle goes to sleep, only to wake up when Hibari does. Don't you remember what Tsuna said, all those years ago? Hibari will wake up with a kiss from his true love! All we have to do is find Prince Ryohei and get him to kiss Hibari, then everything'll be okay!"

"How do we even know Ryohei is Hibari's true love, you dolt?"

"I think it's the best shot we have." Tsuna said, walking over to the window. "If Ryohei is not Hibari's true love, then we shall just have to spread the word of Prince Hibari under the faerie's spell and let people come and try to wake him."

"So we'd basically be whoring out his lips?" Gokudera scoffed, but he had to admit that he found the idea amusing, in a mean kind of way.

Tsuna looked over to Hibari with a sad smile on his face. "Even if it takes a hundred years, I will make sure that Hibari wakes up." Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at him, then at each other, and finally stepped forwards on either side of Tsuna. They looked out the window at the bustling castle, watching all the servants run around in preparation for Hibari's return.

Gokudera sighed. "One castle-wide sleeping spell, coming right up." They each raised their hands, letting a sparkle gather at their fingertips, then burst forth and settle over the entire castle. People fell asleep where they stood, where they ate, and a few dogs already taking naps settled into a deep slumber.

"Now let's find Prince Ryohei."

The prince in question was horribly lost in the woods, his search party long gone in various directions, and no Hibari in sight. He led his horse through the forest at a slow trot, and tugged him to a stop when he heard a low growl to his side. Suddenly he was tackled off his horse, and he and his attacker rolled for a while before Ryohei kicked the other man off of him.

Ken stood there, teeth bared in a feral grin, shoulders hunched but tensed, ready to pounce again. Ryohei scrambled to his feet, raising his fists in front of him, ready to fight. He was not prepared for a two on one fight, however, so the needles that came flying at his back were completely unexpected.

He spun around, spotting a dark-haired boy pulling more needles out of a circular pouch on his hip. Ken's lips parted in a barking laugh. "I can handle him on my own, Kakipi! He's pretty weak!"

"Oh, but I don't want him to just be defeated." Mukuro's voice slid out like honey, and he emerged from behind a tree, the rolling mist revealing he hadn't been there before. "I want him destroyed. I want his hope dashed. And I want Hibari to suffer in his current state forever."

Ryohei frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Hibari? What does he have to do with anything?" Mukuro laughed, and Ken laughed, and Chikusa stayed silent. Mukuro waved his hand through the mist, pulling out a swirling orb that gleamed for a moment before showing the sleeping form of Hibari. Ryohei jolted, realizing that Hibari, the one he was meant to marry, was the boy he had met in the woods. He had fallen for his fiancé without even realizing it.

"He is cursed to an eternal sleep." Mukuro said, waving the orb in front of Ryohei, his own eyes trained on the dark-haired boy in the orb. "And can only be woken with true love's kiss. But you will not be able to give it to him. Kufufufufu. I am imprisoning you until you die, and then there is no way for Hibari to wake up."

"I will never let that happen!" Ryohei exclaimed, rushing forwards to take a swing at Mukuro, but needles shot into his arm with enough force to knock his aim off. Mukuro easily sidestepped the fist.

"You do not have a choice." Mukuro said, and gripped the boy's wrist as Ken and Chikusa advanced closer.

"MUKURO!"

All eyes were diverted as Gokudera's voice rang clear through the forest. The three good faeries flew in, separating Mukuro from Ryohei. The blue-haired faerie huffed and vanished in a plume of mist, and they all turned to face the prince.

"Prince Ryohei!" Tsuna exclaimed, a little out of breath. "It's so good to see you."

"Do I know you?"

"No, but – oooo, there's no time. Here." Tsuna took Ryohei's hands in his own, a pale light shining where their skin met, slowly slinking over the prince's hands until he was wearing a pair of golden gloves.

"They're infused with the power of the sun." Tsuna said, glancing over to where Gokudera and Yamamoto were holding off Ken and Chikusa. "So that you may fight and triumph against evil."

Ryohei stared at the gloves for a moment before pumping his fist into the air. "EXTREMELY AWESOME!" he yelled, and jumped into the fray. Within a few bloody minutes, the two henchmen were defeated, and Ryohei was rushing towards the castle without any prompting from the faeries.

"Just wait, Hibari! I will save you to the extreme!"

The first sign that Mukuro was already at the castle were the thorns that had somehow grown everywhere without any warning. Ryohei barely even slowed down, simply plowing ahead, ripping away the thorns as they came up. His bleeding hands and arms healed by the power of the gloves, and Ryohei was able to get through them in next to no time.

Mukuro was waiting there, deciding that he would waste no time as well. Before their eyes, the faerie transformed into a mighty dragon, purple flames spewing from his mouth. Gokudera rushed in front of the group, his magic creating a quick barrier he had dubbed the Sistema C.A.I., then Tsuna rushed out and froze the flames at their source, locking up Mukuro's mouth. Yamamoto turned to Ryohei and created a sword, handing it to the man and gave him his best wishes.

As Mukuro raised a claw to rip the ice from his jaw, Ryohei rushed out from behind the Sistema C.A.I. and thrust his sword up into the dragon's belly, dark blood oozing out. Mukuro roared, his body spaseming, tail and limbs twitching everywhere as he slowly died, until he finally fell to the ground with a loud thump.

The faeries ushered Ryohei onwards, telling him where Hibari was, and busied themselves with Mukuro's corpse. It wouldn't do to have a dead dragon spontaneously be there when everyone woke up.

Ryohei climbed and climbed the stairs, finally reaching the room with Hibari. He slowed his steps as he walked to the edge of the bed, taken with the beauty of this sleeping figure. Finally, he sat down at the edge of the bed and leant over, pressing his lips against Hibari's motionless ones. They were still warm.

Slowly, Hibari's eyes fluttered open, the feeling of being molested too much for one to stay asleep for much longer. His dark gaze fell upon the white hair of Ryohei's head, still attached to Hibari's lips, and Hibari smacked his fist into the side of Ryohei's head while simultaneously biting down on the man's lower lip.

Ryohei gave a yelp from both assaults and he shot upwards, rubbing his lip for a moment before looking down at Hibari. The pale boy's face was flushed and Ryohei's blood was on his lips, staining them a brilliant red. Ryohei grinned.

"You don't have to worry! I'm Prince Ryohei! We're supposed to be married soon! It's extremely amazing!" Ryohei said excitedly, as though all this excused his actions, and swooped in for another kiss, pressing his wet lips insistently against Hibari's.

Hibari growled and swung his fist out again, knocking Ryohei's head around, though the other boy was sure that it was a little softer than before. Ryohei took a few seconds to recover, but still flashed Hibari that same grin and took his hand. Hibari flushed even darker and glared daggers at the other man.

"Come on, don't you wanna see your parents?"

Hibari scowled and let himself be lifted out of bed, and soon snatched his hand away and stomped down the stairs himself, Ryohei chattering eagerly behind him. The man was lucky he was a good kisser, or else he would have had to worry about more than just a bit lip.

Seated on the roof, the three good faeries watched as the castle came back to life, the bustle from hours ago returning with full force. They hoped it would all work out, that Hibari would easily settle into his new life without much trouble. Of course, none of them expected that to actually happen, but they still believed there would be _some_ semblance of a happily ever after.


End file.
